Cord support for suction cleaners



Nov. 2, 1954 VANCE 2,693,001

CORD SUPPORT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS INVENTOR. John 12 Vance United Sttes Patent CORD SUPPURT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS John E. Vance, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 2, 1952, Serial No. 291,203

6 Claims. c1. 1s 323 The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to releasably storing the electric cord of the suction cleaner.

An object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner having a carrying handle movable to an extended position with respect to the cleaner body to release the electric cord. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner having a cord storage hook on a carrying handle movable to an extended position with respect to the cleaner body to arrange the cord hook for release of the electric cord. A further object is to provide a suction cleaner having a carrying handle movable to a position for removal of the electric cord and provide a propelling handle to lift one end of the cleaner for moving the latter in a tilted position from place to place. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section, of a tank type cleaner showing the carrying handle in retracted position to support the electric cord;

Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a view of the carrying handle extended to cleaner propelling position and the cord hooks arranged for removal of the electric cord.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a tank cleaner provided with an elongated casing having a portion 11 closed at its opposite ends by caps 12 and 13 provided respectively with ports 14 and 15 communicating with the interior of the casing. A hose 16, only partially shown, is provided with a suitable surface cleaning tool and is attached to the port 15. The cleaner is normally supported on the surface 18 by a pair of front skids 19 riveted to the casing bottom wall 20, and a pair of wheels 21 rotatably mounted on a shaft 22 secured to the bottom wall 20. The rearmost area 23 of the wheels 21 lie in the plane of the wall 24 of the rear end cap 12 to form a supporting surface when the cleaner is upended thereon in vertical position. Disposed within the casing 10 is a filter bag 25 and a motor-fan unit 26 which draws the dirt laden air through the hose 16 into the bag 25, the latter removing the dirt from the air stream which is then discharged through the port 14. A hinge 27 movably supports the end cap 13 for access to the bag 25, and a suitable unshown latch locks the end cap in closed position.

Arranged longitudinally along the top wall of the casing 10 is a substantially U-shaped housing 34) secured to the casing by screws 31 to provide a handle chamber 32 having a front opening 33. Slidably mounted within the housing is an elongated hollow handle 35 of rectangular cross section provided with a hand grip 36 secured by screws 37 to the outer end 38 of the handle.

The handle 35 is locked in its retracted position shown in Figure 1 by a leaf spring 49 riveted to the top wall 41 of the handle and has a latch 42 proiecting through openings 43 and 44 respectively in the handle top wall 41 and the housing top wall 45. .A button 46 is at one end of the leaf spring adiacent the hand grip 36 to depress the spring 40 and remove the latch 42 from the housing opening 44 whereby the handle 35 may be extended outwardly of the front end cap 13.

At the inner end of the handle 35 is another latch for locking the handle in its extended position and includes a leaf spring 50 secured by a rivet 51 to one end to the handle top wall 41 and is provided at its opposite 2,693,001 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 end with a latch 52 having a locking surface 53 and a cam surface 54, and an operating button 55 is attached to the leaf spring for depressing the latter within the handle 35. An opening 57 is provided in the handle top wall 41 through which the button and latch 52 normally project. In the housing top wall 45 is an elongated opening 60 having opposite end walls 61 and 62 for receiving the button 55 and latch 52 during movement of the handle 35 to its extended and retracted positions. An opening 63 in the housing top wall 45 receives the latch 52 to lock .the handle in its extended position.

A stationary cord hook 65 is secured by a rivet 66 to the housing top wall 45 and is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 67 which cooperates with the housing 30 to form a recess 68 for storing the electric cord 63 of the suction cleaner. A movable cord hook '70 projects through the housing opening 60 and is secured by the rivet 51 to the handle top wall 41 and has a rearward portion 72 spaced from the housing 30 to form a recess 73 for storing the cord. Adjacent the housing opening 63 at the opposite sides of the elongated opening 60 is a pair of stops 75 mounted on the housing 36) to engage the front wall 76 of the movable hook to limit outward movement of the handle 35 in its extended position. a

The cleaner is normally stored in upended position with the end wall 24 of the cap 12 and the rear portions 23 of the wheels 21 resting on the supporting surface, and the handle 35 is locked in cleaner carrying position by the latch 42 being seated in the housing opening 44, and the cord 69 is wound about the hooks 70 and 65, as shown in Figure 1. The cleaner may then be carried to the desired location by grasping the hand grip In order to release the cord 69 the cleaner is placed in its upended position or in its horizontal position as shown in Figure l, and the operator grasps the hand grip 36 and also depresses the button 46 with his thumb to remove the latch 42 from the housing opening 44, whereby the handle may be moved forwardly of the end cap 13 to its cord release position shown in Figure 4. Movement of the handle to its extended position causes the hook 70 and the latch 52 to move in the housing opening 60 toward the stationary hook 65. When the handle 35 approaches its extended position the cam surface 54 of the latch 52 engages the end wall 61 of the opening 60 to depress the latch 52 within the housing 30 and thereafter the leaf spring 50 urges the latch 52 into the opening 63 to prevent movement of the handle inwardly of the housing 30. The stops 75 abut the front wall 76 of the movable cord book 70 to prevent further outward movement of the handle 35.

During movement of the handle to its cord release position the distance between the hooks 70 and 65 is reduced whereby the lower loops 81 of the cord are released from the movable hook 70 and the wound cord is supported only by the stationary hook 65 allowing the operator to grasp the loops 82 of the cord and remove the latter as a unit from the hook 65 for connection to a source of current.

The cleaner is then placed in its horizontal cleaning position and the wheels 21 and skids 19 rest on the supporting surface 18 for movement over the surface by pulling the hose 16. The handle 35 may be in its cord release position during the cleaning operation or retracted to the position shown in Figure 1.

In order to return the handle to its retracted position the button 55 is depressed to remove the latch 52 from the housing opening 63 to unlock the handle whereby the latter may be telescoped within the housing 30 until the latch 42 is seated in the housing opening 44 to lock the handle and hook 70 in position for winding the cord on both hooks 70 and 65.

When the handle 35 is in the position shown in Figure 4 it also provides a convenient propelling handle to tilt the cleaner and move it over stairs and other supporting surfaces on the wheels 21.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that that embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting said body, said second hook operatively connected with said handle for movement toward said first hook to reduce the space therebetween and disconnect the cord from one of said hooks upon movement of said handle to its extended position.

2. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, and

means locking said handle in said retracted position to provide a fixed cleaner carrying handle.

3. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, means at one end of said body supporting the latter on a surface, and means locking said handle in an extended position beyond the opposite end of said body to provide a projecting handle for lifting said opposite end of said body and propelling said cleaner over the surface on said supporting means.

4. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, means locking said handle in said retracted position to provide a fixed cleaner carrying handle, means at one end of said body supporting the latter on a surface, and means locking said handle in an extended position beyond the opposite end of said body to provide a projecting handle for lifting said opposite end of said body and propelling said cleaner over the surface on said supporting means.

5. A suction cleaner comprising a body, a fixed hook mounted on said body, and a movable hook for storing an electric cord, a cleaner carrying handle slidably mounted on said body for movement to a retracted position projecting beyond one end of said body and to a further extended position with respect to said one end of said body, means connecting said movable hook to said handle for movement therewith to a cord storing position with respect to said fixed hook when said handle is in said retracted position, and movable toward said fixed hook to reduce the space therebetween and disconnect the cord from said movable hook upon movement of said handle to its said extended position.

6. A suction cleaner as described in claim 5, and means at the opposite end of said body supporting the latter on a surface upon lifting said one end of said body by said handle when in its said extended position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,576,075 Tisdell Mar. 9, 1926 2,003,147 Helm-Hansen May 28, 193,5 2,291,353 Seyfried July 28, 1942 2,384,174 Jones Sept. -4, 1945 2,416,752 Hendrick Mar. 4, 1947 2,427,801 McKee Sept. 23, 1947 2,437,029 Howard Mar. 2, 1948 2,519,146 Marshall Aug. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 112,117 Sweden Oct. 17, 1944 

